Mother Dearest
by lunarxshinobi
Summary: Naruto doesn't only look to the Kyuubi for chakra. He looks to her for love, nuturing, guideance. After all, when you need help, you can always go to your mother.
1. Chapter 1

**Mother Dearest**

Chapter 1

_Prolouge_

"Talking"

'_thinking_'

-**FF/Change POV**-

Arashi watched in horror as the giant fox suddenly attacked the village. His son cried behind him. He grabbed the new born and teleported to his house. He put his son in a crib and paced. 'Three Hours. Three hours.' The clock seemed to say with every tick. Arashi put his head to the window. Three hours. The love of his life only had three hours left. Three hours until he lost her forever, and most of the village would probably go with her. He banged his head against the wall, until the cry of his son woke him out of his stupor. Arashi turned to look at the child. Realization hit him. He grabbed his son and ran to the hokage tower.  
He summoned gamabunta, and rode out to meet the fox. He wiped a tear out of his eye as the fox looked at him, roaring angrily. He sighed, and began to do the handsigns. His son looked at him, confused. The fox noticed what Arashi was doing. It started to charge him, but it was too late. Already it was being sucked into his son. Arashi watched the fox dissappear, struggling to stop crying. The Fox's eye's suddenly opened in realization. It let out a strangled cry and then reached toward Arashi, falling to the ground in it's last breath. Arashi set his son down, and then fell off Gamabunta, landing where his love's head had been just minutes before. Sarutobi collected the crying child, and looked at the fallen kage. He wiped his tears, and walked away.

-FF to the Next Night-

Naruto was sleeping soundly in the crib. Red chakra began to spill from the child. A tall woman with firey red hair and deep red eyes looked at the child. She picked him up, and held him close, crying. "Oh my dear son, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. It's all my fault. I should've died. Not him. I'm so sorry, my beloved Naruto." She said, putting him down, and dissappearing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mother Dearest**

Chapter 2

"Talking"

'_thinking_'

-**FF/Change POV**-

Naruto ran as fast as he could, dodging the shuriken that were being thrown at him. He nearly tripped running up stairs, and a shuriken caught his leg. Two chunin landed in front of him. "Hello, demon." They smirked. Naruto whimpered, and covered his head. The chunin raised their legs to kick, when a puff of smoke appeared. Naruto ran between them and into his aparment, slamming the door shut. He leaned against it and sighed. The door was locked, and red chakra slid into the kitchen. ".. Are you okay, Naruto? Does that cut need healing?" A woman's voice said. Naruto walked into the kitchen, where his tall red-headed mother had started cooking for him. " no, mom. It's not that bad. But you shouldn't have made that smoke. What if they saw your chakra?" Naruto's mother shrugged. "They didn't... how was your day?" She asked.

"... mom."

"Yes?"

"... You were there."

She shook her head. "Naruto, you know as well as I that I sleep during your classes." Naruto sighed. "we went over shadow clones.. I don't get it." Kyuubi sighed at him. "oh Naruto. I told you that if you need me to I'll teach you the Multi Shadow clone Jutsu."

". Mooom. I'm not supposed to know that one. I'm supposed to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Besides. You suck at teaching. you can only show the jutsu." Naruto said. Kyuubi sighed. "I know... Mabey Iruka-san can help you after school?" Naruto grinned. "Momm likes Iruka. Moom likes Iruka." Kyuubi twitched. ".. You have five seconds to be quiet or no ramen." Naruto shut up. Kyuubi smiled, served him, and kissed him on the top of his head. "I love you, Naru-kun." Naruto grinned. "Love ya too mom. Fuzz and all." Kyuubi twitched again. "... Okay, remind me to start teasing you when you get your tails." Naruto laughed.


	3. Graduation

**Mother Dearest**

Chapter 2

_Graduation_

"Talking"

'_thinking_'

-**FF/Change POV**-

_**Kyuubi Talking**_

Kyuubi was awake and chearing in her son's mind. _**'Naruto, don't worry, you can do it! It's just a simple clone jutsu! I mean, if you can do that disgusting 'Sexy Jutsu', you can do a clone jutsu! Go my sweet little Naru-kun!'**_Naruto blinked and sighed. '_Moooooooooom. Shut up.'_He said. Kyuubi sighed, and then sat in the back of her cage, waiting for Naruto's turn. Naruto sighed. A clone appeared, but half-dead. Kyuubi sighed. '_**Oh my dear sweet Naru-kun. It's alright. We'll ask Iruka for another chance later. Don't worry.'**_ Kyuubi said. Naruto just sighed and left the room. Kyuubi went to the back of her cage to give Naruto some time alone.

That's when Mizuki got ahold of Naruto. While Kyuubi was quietly sleeping away, Naruto was being informed of a second way to pass. Naruto started to sneak out of the tower with the scroll, when Kyuubi woke up '_**Naruto... What are you doing?'**_ Naruto flinched. '_Well, um, well, Mizuki-sensei told me of a second way to pass.'_ He said, slipping into an alleyway and quietly jogging down it. '_**A Second way to pass?.. Naruto, as far as I know, there is no other way. Did you speak to Iruka, or the Third about this?'**_ Kyuubi questioned. Naruto dodged the glance of a couple of chunin and then slipped out of the village. '_.. No, but, Mizuki-sensei knows what he's talking about._' He said, jumping over a fallen tree. '_**.. I sure hope so, because if this goes badly, you will not be the one to suffer.**_' Kyuubi said dangerously. She went back to the back of her cage, but she stood awake, watching what was going on. Naruto sat outside a shack and unrolled the scroll. " Mizuki-sensei said I have to learn a jutsu from this scroll to pass..." Naruto went quiet. _**'Something wrong?**_' Naruto shook his head. "Just something a little funny. The first one is multi-shadow clone jutsu. '_**ha. Talk about irony.**_' Kyuubi chuckled. Naruto just made a face, and began studying the scroll. "mom, I think I've got it!" Naruto squealed. Kyuubi smiled. "_**Great job, Naruto!"**_ She said proudly.

"NARUTO!" Iruka appeared. Kyuubi's fur stood up on end. "_**I have a bad feeling about this. You should've cleared it with the Third Hokage first. You shouldn't have trusted Mizuki. There's always been something wrong with that man. '**_ Kyuubi said. '_It's alright mom. I'll see you later. okay?'_ Kyuubi sighed, and then curled up to nap. "Naruto, why'd you take the forbidden scroll?"

"well, If I learn one of these jutsu, I pass, right? Well, i learned. and you'll pass me now. Right?" Naruto asked. Iruka blinked. "What?" A flury of kunai rained down on Iruka and Naruto. Iruka pushed Naruto out of the way. "Mizuki!" Kyuubi woke up and flicked her ears. _**'what... Did that... Naruto. Get out of there. GET OUT.' **_Kyuubi growled. Naruto shook his head '_IRUKA-SENSEI!'_He argued. Kyuubi was plainly irritated. Then Iruka saved Naruto. She stopped growling, and found that she truly appreciated Iruka for caring for her beloved son. Kyuubi laid her head down on her paws, and waited for what came next.

-**FF to Next Day**-

'_**I'm so proud of you, Naruto! For celebration, I'm making all your favorites tonight! Oh, you did so well. All those clones. That fool of a 'shinobi', if you can call him that, didn't stand a chance!**_' Kyuubi was puffed with pride. Naruto just laughed. '_But Iruka and I are going out for ramen.'_ Kyuubi de-puffed a little. '_**Fine. I'll cook tomorrow.'**_ '_Mom, it's a wonder I don't look like a akimichi.[sp_' '_**.. ha ha ha.'**_ Kyuubi said. Naruto laughed. Iruka gave him a look. " Naruto, what's so funny?" Naruto grinned. "Just mo- er, Momo. It's a.. comic I was looking at yesterday. I just remembered it." Naruto quickly lied. "I'll see you later!" Naruto grinned, running off to his aparment. Iruka blinked. " Was Naruto about to say 'mom' ?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Mother Dearest**

Chapter 3

"Talking"

'_thinking_'

-**FF/Change POV**-

_**Kyuubi Talking**_

Naruto yawned and stretched. "Today I meet my team!" Naruto said cheerfully. Kyuubi stretched and flicked her tails. '_**That's Wonderful, Naruto. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go to sleep. wake me when you're going to meet your teacher**_' She said, curling into a big poofy ball and falling asleep. Naruto laughed at his mom, and then picked through his closet. He pulled on his clothes and then grabbed some cereal before heading out. He walked down the road cheerfully. He spied Iruka and grinned.

"Hi Iruka-sensei!" He yelled cheerfully. Iruka smiled and walked towards Naruto. "Hey Naruto." He said.

"Shouldn't you be at the school, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Well, I watned to talk to you about somthing first, Naruto." Iruka said, looking at the smiling blond boy. Naruto looked up calmly, but eagerly. "Yeah?" He asked. Iruka sighed. "Naruto, yesterday, you were about to say 'mom' weren't you? What did you mean?" Naruto blinked. He hadn't expected that question.

"...um, actually, I meant Momo... and, I really don't remember what I meant." Naruto laughed. Iruka sighed. He could hear the lie in Naruto's voice, but he knew he won't get anything else out of the boy. "Well, okay. I'll see you at school." Iruka said, dissappearing. Naruto sighed. '_Damn. I almost got caught... and that means mom would've gotten caught to... I have to be more careful._' He thought, contiuing his walk towards the school.

-**FF to The Announcement of Teams**-

Naruto sighed. He wished they would get on with it. He was tired of sitting next to Sakura. He liked the girl, and thought she was pretty and all, but she got annoying sometimes. That, and she enovked conversations with his mother, that usually ended up along the lines of

_'Kyuubi: Honey, are you gay?_

_Naruto: WHAT._

_Kyuubi: I mean, honey, you're after the worst girls._

_Naruto:... Mom._

_Kyuubi: yes?_

_Naruto: go to sleep._

_Kyuubi:... Allriighhtt.'_

Naruto looked around the class, and raised his eyebrow in surprise. Some people that he hadn't expected to be here were here. The Nara boy, the Hyuga Girl, and a couple of other people. He sighed and then leaned back. He would ask his mom, but she was too busy napping to talk to him. He looked at Iruka, who was now in front of the room. He started humming a random song, until he realized that Iruka had said Sakura's name. Naruto grinned, and then grinned bigger when he heard his name. He cheered, but then moped when he heard Sasuke's name. He sighed and put down his head. '_Why am I in the same gruop as that stupid chicken-butt hair cut?'_ Naruto grumbled, and continued grumbling until Iruka dismissed them to meet their teachers.

Naruto walked into the room and sat in a corner. '_Mom. Hey mom. Wake up.'_The Kyuubi yawned, got up, and stretched. '_** Hello Naruto. Are you going to meet you teacher now?" **_ Kyuubi asked. Naruto tapped his foot while waiting for the door. '_I don't know.'_ _**'What's his name?**_' Kyuubi asked. '_Hatake, Kakashi.'_ Naruto blinked in surprise, because his mom started laughing her, er, tails, off. _**'Oh, I'm sorry Naruto. It's just, Kakashi, your teacher? oh dear, you'll be here forever. Last I remember, Kakashi developed, a 'late' streak.'**_ She chuckled. Naruto moped. '_awww maaan.'_

-**FF to the Convo.**-

"... My name's naruto... I like ramen, I hate Hypocrites, I want to be hokage, and, that's about it." '_Oh, and my mom's a giant fluffy plush doll who lives in a cage in my head' __**'XD... Narutoooo... You should've said that just for their expressions. '**_ Kyuubi chuckled. Naruto just shook his head quietly. Kyuubi smiled. "_**Oh, Kakashi has certaintly grown up... Of course, he's a giant perv, but he has grown.**_' Kyuubi said fondly. Naruto just shook his head again and listened to Sakura's obsessed rant and Sasuke's obsessed violent rant. '_mom?' __**'Yes?'**__ '... Who is it that Sasuke hates?'__** 'I believe it's his brother, Itachi.' **__'Itachi?'__** 'I'll tell you more, later.'**_ Kyuubi said, curling up and going to sleep.

-----------------------------------------

**Lunar:** I am now taking pairings suggestions. Suggestions can come until chapter 5. Then we will have voting until chapter 8. Okay? So far the suggestions are:

NaruHina

So, unless people give me suggestions, I'm writin' a Naru-Hina Story.


	5. Chapter 5

**Mother Dearest**

Chapter 5

_The Test of the Bells_

"Normal Conversation"

'_Thoughts, Naruto Talking to Kyuubi'_

'_**Kyuubi Talking'**_

Naruto woke up to his mom, in the kitchen, singing cheerfully. "Mom, someone's going to hear you!" Kyuubi turned around and smiled. "Well, they can come ask me about it. This will, most likely, end with them on the floor, out cold." She hugged him. "Morning Sweetheart."

"Morning mom." Naruto said, sitting down at their tiny little table. He blinked when she set down a large bowl of miso ramen. "But Kakashi-sensei said not to eat breakfast."

"… He can come and have that conversation with me. It'll go something like this. 'Excuse me, Naruto wasn't supposed to-'… That's when I kick him where it hurts." Kyuubi said a playful glint in her eye. "My son eats breakfast EVERY day… and no brat will tell me otherwise." She said her hands on her hips.

"… I keep forgetting how old you are." Naruto said, digging into his ramen. Kyuubi ruffled his hair. "I take that as a compliment. Because it better be." Naruto laughed.

-**FF to the Training Grounds**-

"_**I told you it was only going to get worse. Kakashi has absolutely no concept of arriving on time."**_

_"I was hoping you were just kidding. Geeze, I'm so bored."_

_**"… I dare you to try to make conversation with the Uchiha-kid."**_

**"I**_ like living."_

_**"Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Okay, so that was a bad idea. But the poor kid needs a friend or two."**_

_"And I have to be that friend?"_

_"__**Yes. I knew his mother. Now go be friendly."**_

**"**_You totally suck mom."_

_"__**Want me to go off with that one?"**_

_"..??.. OMG NOOOOOOOOO!"_

_**"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha oh it hurts ha ha ha ha ha ha."**_

Naruto did his best to ignore his mom's maniacal laughing, mainly because he was the butt of the joke. He walked up to Sasuke, and sat on the ground near his tree, looking up at the sky. "It sucks that sensei is so late, doesn't it?"

"Go away, Dobe." Sasuke said, looking away.

"… You don't have to be rude, teme. I'm just trying to talk... and it's safer talking to someone who doesn't have the goal of destroying my eardrum." Naruto said, slightly irritated. Sasuke stifled a chuckle. "Whatever… What do you think the test will be anyway?" Naruto beamed, pleased that he got a response out of his new mom-forced-friend. "Something annoying." Sasuke smirked. There wasn't any more conversation for a while, until Sakura came by, questioning Sasuke about his plans afterwards, and demanding to know what Naruto thought he was doing trying to act cool and talk to her Sasuke.

"_**My Tails, what the hell is wrong with that girl? Honey, you have the taste of a dead iguana."**_

_"Wtf."_

_"__**Don't ask."**_

_"… Oookay. Geeze mom, it's not like I'll like her forever… She's just cute, that's all."_

_"__**Oh thank goodness, I thought you liked-her liked her."**_

_"… What?"_

_"__**hm?"**_

_"Nothing."_

_"__**Kakashi's here."**_

Naruto looked up and saw Kakashi appear in a swirl of leaves. "Are you all read y to take this little exam? Just so you know, if you don't pass, you'll be sent back to the academy."

"What? I thought we passed the academy already!" Naruto argued. Kakashi smiled. "That's just a myth."

"_MOOOOM!"_

_"_**Hun, I'm not going to tell you everything. You'll have to learn some things... Kakashi's way."**

**"**_I hate you."_

_"__**I know. I know."**_

-**FF to Middle of the Bell Test-**

Naruto sat concealed behind a pair of bushes, catching his breath. "_Mom, what do I do? I can't get him by myself, I can't get him with clones, and I can't really get him with anything."_

_**"Whoever said you, a genin, could take on him, a jonin, alone?"**_

_**"**__Oh!! I'm gonna go try to get Sakura to help!"_

_"__**Good Luck with that. Call me when it fails. I'll be watching from... A tree."**_

_".. Random."_

_"__**I know, huh."**_

_"Ha ha."_

Naruto ran to find Sakura, while a small trail of red chakra seeped out, and rushed along the ground. It spiraled up one of the larger trees, and collected near the top. It slowly formed into kyuubi's human form, a tall, elegant woman, wearing a light blue farmer's kimono, and a rice picker's hat to hide her hair, and her face. A single lock of hair fell to her chin. She ignored it, and watched her son's test.

Naruto snuck up to Sakura and looked at Kakashi and Sasuke fighting. "Hey, Sakura-chan, I have an idea. I think if we work together, we'll get the bells." Sakura shoved Naruto away. "If you're too weak to do it yourself, you don't deserve to pass." Naruto sighed, and snuck off. "Man. There's no way I can beat Kakashi on my own. Hey, I know! I'll just eat a lunch while they're all distracted. I might as well, it's not like they're gonna figure it out and even if they do, they won't ask me if I can help them." Naruto said, sneaking his way to the lunches.

Kyuubi shook her head. "Oh Naruto…. Bad move... Ooooh, Kakashi caught you. Well, you had to learn somehow… Yep. Tied to the pole…. I wonder..." She watched as Kakashi disappeared, leaving the genin to eat lunch, and Naruto to sit tied to a pole. She blinked when the familiar chakra appeared close by. "Who are you, and why are you watching my students?" Kakashi asked quietly. Kyuubi slowly stood up, turning towards him, keeping her head down so he couldn't see her face. "Who are you?" Kakashi asked again. Kyuubi turned and darted away, with Kakashi immidiently giving chase. Luckily, Kyuubi had to factors in her favor. One, she had a head start. Two, she was just plain faster than him. When she felt she had ran far enough away, she jumped down off the trees, and became chakra, which immidiently channeled its way back to Naruto.

-**Kakashi's POV**-

Kakashi had sensed the presence when he was scolding Naruto and warning the other two not to share their lunches with him. A powerful presence, at least chunin, if not jonin level, somewhere in the trees. After he had finished giving his warning, he disappeared, reappearing as close as he could to the source of the chakra. A woman wearing the simple clothes of a rice farmer, sat crouched, looking in the direction of his students. "Who are you, and why are you watching my students?" He asked, 

wondering what the various answers could be. She could be a spy for the council, checking in to see if he was doing his job correct. Or worse, she could be a spy from another village, looking to get her hands on the kyuubi. She stood up, and turned to face him. She was obviously hiding her face though, with her hat angled down and her head tilted down as well. Kakashi was even more wary of her for some reason. "Who are you?" he asked again. For a couple of seconds, there was nothing. She was just standing there, almost as if she was contemplating the answer she wanted to give him. Then she moved, so quickly Kakashi barely had time to realize she was trying to make a run for it. He started to chase her down, wondering if he would be able to catch up. She was surprisingly fast, which fortified his belief that she was an enemy spy. That's when she jumped down, and disappeared. He cursed for a few seconds, and then immidiently returned to his students, where he found them doing exactly when he told them not to do. Passing.

-**Normal POV**-

Naruto grinned. He had passed. And it was awesome too. He had been tied to that stupid pole, when all of a sudden; Sasuke asked Naruto if he wanted a few bites of his lunch. Then Sakura had admitted that he was probably right about the two of them having a better chance working together, and offered him some of her lunch too. The three were sharing the lunches between them, and that's when Kakashi appeared. Naruto had been really surprised, and really pleased, when he found out the secret to the exam. That he and his teammates had really passed. "_Mooom! Mom, I did it!"_

"_**I know. I was watching. I think I need to keep a low profile tonight though. Do you mind making your own dinner? We'll celebrate tomorrow, alright?"**_

"_Of course mom. I don't want you to get caught. I'd be alone."_

"_**Oh Naruto."**_

_**--**_

**Lunar:** Well, I hoped you all enjoyed that chapter. Sorry it took so long. Anywayz, Here are the pairings, and their votes.

NaruHina- 2 votes

Sasunaru (YAY) – 3 votes (double yay!)

KakaNaru (yay yaoi!) – 1 vote

And then someone suggested:

GaaraxSakura. Which doesn't sound that bad to me. I kinda like it. Anywayz, vote on Naruto's pairing, and then tell me what you think about Gaara and Sakura.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note

To my surprisingly loyal readers:

I'm sorry that I haven't updated since the second semester of my sophomore year. However, I will once again begin writing. I've been busy with homework and school and all of that fun stuff. But dangit, I WILL UPDATE ONCE AGAIN!


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